


Nightmares

by forfitzsimmons, LoveThaws (forfitzsimmons)



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Creative License, Dorks in Love, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I tried to make it work ok, Kristoff waxes poetic about Anna, Magic, Married Couple, Post-Frozen 2 (2019), Protective Anna (Disney), Protective Kristoff (Disney), Queen Anna, Sven is done with these idiots, Troll Magic, True Love, anna is badass as usual, everything escalates quickly, he refuses to be called king, kind of, kristoff can do magic, prince consort kristoff, wikipedia mythology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21827257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forfitzsimmons/pseuds/forfitzsimmons, https://archiveofourown.org/users/forfitzsimmons/pseuds/LoveThaws
Summary: An evil once sealed away by the trolls has returned, and now it can walk in the light as they cannot. When the one way to banish it is with magic known only to the trolls, there is just one person they can turn to. He was not at all prepared for that.Kristoff is bad at magic, Anna is even more stubborn now that they're married, and the only hope for defeating this returning evil is in the hands of people not used to being the center of prophecies, and not necessarily happy about it.
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Bulda & Kristoff (Disney), Kristoff & Sven (Disney: Frozen)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, here I am, posting Frozen fanfiction at the ripe old age of 24 because I'm a child and Kristanna makes me happy. Anyway, I was sad that they didn't get the main story they could've had in Frozen 2, so I made one for them. This is gonna be an adventure. I have no idea how long it'll be.
> 
> I based the creature off a real Scandinavian mythological creature, though there's some creative license taken to make it fit with what I'm going for. It's been a good while since I've done any writing, so I hope y'all enjoy it!

The castle was an entirely different place at night. There was a certain bench in the garden that had a perfect view of the stars. Kristoff would always find the North Star first out of habit, knowing exactly where it’d lead him if he chased after it through the night. He didn’t know the names of the stars, but he knew their shapes by heart. Tiny spots of light dotted the dark sky, and he knew this would be as close as he’d get to the mountains for a while yet.

Being prince consort was…well, different. Sometimes it could be just as precarious as standing out by a frozen lake, sometimes it was hard, and sometimes it was absolutely suffocating. Hence the need for some star-gazing, even if it wasn’t the same as it would be in the crisp air of the mountains. Kristoff could live with that.

Besides, the mountains didn’t have Anna. Now that _his_ queen had become _Arendelle_ ’s queen, they had to be at the castle most days. Kristoff figured there’d be a lot of paperwork, but that was just the beginning. There was court and settling disputes and treaties and trade negotiations. The paperwork came _after_ all that.

For now though, paperwork could be forgotten. It’d be there in the morning. Kristoff would soak in this moment instead, stars overhead and his wife in his arms. She was leaning on his shoulder, loose red hair tickling his cheek. Despite the quiet of the moment, even now he could feel her fidgeting. Kristoff was convinced Anna just had too much energy to _ever_ be still. She was practically vibrating.

Wait, no, that wasn’t Anna. He could feel the ground vibrating through the thin shoes he wore around the castle.

“Anna,” he got her attention, “Something’s coming.” He stood and Anna stood with him, hand clasped in his.

“Why is the ground shaking?” Anna was looking at her feet like she’d find the answer there. She looked back up and pointed into the distance. “Look!”

If Kristoff were anyone else, he would find the new scene concerning. His reindeer was galloping towards them, seemingly running from rolling boulders. Thankfully, Kristoff was _not_ anyone else, so he just patiently waited for them.

Sven nearly ran past him and Kristoff laughed at his attempts to slow down. Sven gave him the stink eye, but Kristoff paid it no mind. He gave his best friend a pat and turned back to the rolling boulders.

“What brings you all the way out here?” Kristoff kneeled down to talk, even before the boulders had finished rolling in. The boulders came to a stop and abruptly uncurled into trolls.

Bulda and Grand Pabbie stood there looking…well, not as happy as Kristoff had expected them to be when visiting their adopted human. Bulda was never this quiet. If this were a normal visit, she would’ve already been cooing over Anna and asking about children. There was also the fact that Grand Pabbie almost never left the valley.

“Kristoff,” Grand Pabbie said, “I’m afraid we’re not here for a social visit.”

He was still eyeing the solemn look on Bulda’s face. “Yeah, I gathered that.”

Anna bent down. “What’s wrong, Grand Pabbie? Did something happen in the Valley of Living Rocks?”

“No,” Grand Pabbie replied, “Not yet. That is why we’re here. It’s for the future.”

“Should I call for Elsa?”

“No, I’m afraid she isn’t the one we’re in need of.” Pabbie’s words made Kristoff instinctively move in front of Anna. “We are not here for the queen either.”

“Bulda,” Kristoff finally addressed her, “What’s going on?”

The troll burst into tears. Kristoff swiftly brought her into his arms as if she wasn’t as heavy as, well, a rock. He started looking between the others in alarm.

Grand Pabbie sighed. “I will explain.” He gestured, conjuring a silhouette in the air. It looked to be a woman, based on the form and the waist-length hair. “An evil from long ago has returned that we trolls once sealed.”

“Then why have you come here if not for Elsa?” Anna couldn’t seem to decide between looking at the silhouette or the still-crying Bulda.

“Evil has evolved,” Pabbie replied. The silhouette grew larger, the hair of the woman growing out in spiky tendrils. “This evil can now walk in the light as we trolls cannot. Elsa’s magic means nothing to creatures such as this. Only troll magic can defeat it.”

“But you just said you can’t fight it?” Kristoff frowned. “How do we defeat it?”

Grand Pabbie locked his gaze onto Kristoff, something heavy pulling down his usually bright eyes. “I’m afraid that there is no “we” here, Kristoff. Our only hope is you.”

The air itself seemed to still as the whole group went silent save for Bulda’s crying. Kristoff fell back from his kneeling position onto his behind. He opened and closed his mouth several times to form words but couldn’t for the life of him figure out what to say, except for, “ _What?_ ”

Anna settled herself onto the ground, heedless of the dirt getting on her dress. She looped an arm around Kristoff’s shoulders. He relaxed, if only minutely. The silhouette changed to a stockier form, a man, himself, Kristoff realized. The silhouette held out a hand and a beam of light shot forth.

“You must do this to keep this kingdom, this _world_ safe from the return of the Nattmara.”

“The _what?!_ ” Kristoff’s eyes widened. He could see Sven panicking about as much as he was. “No, no, absolutely not. They _don’t exist_. Right? That was just a bedtime story?” He looked to Bulda, who had finally calmed down somewhat. “Right?”

“It was,” she sniffled, still holding on tight to her adopted human. “It was just a story because it had been sealed away. Now, the Nattmara is real again.”

Despite sitting on the ground, Kristoff was getting a strange sense of vertigo. Things were starting to spin. “You-you’re joking, right? I don’t really know how to do any troll magic. I-I’m not even really a troll!”

“Yes you are!” Bulda grabbed Kristoff’s face. The world halted its spinning for a moment. “You will always be family, you will always be a troll.” She sniffled again. “You have the power, Kristoff, and I won’t let my baby go off to risk his life without making sure you know how to use it.”

“We will begin tomorrow,” Grand Pabbie added. “We have much to teach you and not long enough to do so, but you must take some time to process. You must do this with a clear mind.”

“Wait!” Anna jumped up. “Teach me too! I won’t let Kristoff go on his own!”

“Absolutely not!” He put Bulda down so he could stand and face his wife. “You don’t even know what a Nattmara _is_. You are not going anywhere near it.”

“I will not let you go off to risk your life alone!”

“You’re _queen_ , Anna! You can’t go running off like that!” He tried to reason with her, “Arendelle needs you.”

Anna turned to Grand Pabbie. “Will this threat come to Arendelle if not stopped?”

He nodded. “It is likely on its way now.”

She turned back to Kristoff and despite the height difference, he felt her presence overwhelm him. She stood tall, in full queen mode. “Then, as _queen_ , I must make sure this doesn’t harm the citizens of Arendelle.” She stepped forward to grasp his hand. “Including her king.”

“Prince consort,” he corrected, but he knew she was winning. “Who will run everything if you’re gone?”

“I’ll ask Elsa to fill in for a bit.”

“Then she’ll want to come too.”

“I’ll make sure Honeymaren knows to stop her.”

“Anna,” he pleaded. He didn’t have anymore excuses, but he couldn’t put her in danger when he didn’t even know how to fight what was coming.

“I’m coming, no matter what.” Anna stood firm and Kristoff knew he had lost.

Sven had to nudge him back to reality. “Ok, but _only_ if Grand Pabbie and Bulda can teach you too.” He looked to the trolls, hoping they’d say it was impossible.

To his dismay, Grand Pabbie nodded. “We predicted your majesty would say that. We have come prepared. Now go. Process, reflect, sleep.”

Kristoff nodded and gave Bulda another hug. He escorted Anna back to their room in a daze. How had things suddenly gone so out of control?

By this point, helping Anna out of her countless layers was routine. He unlaced tight knots, removed hair pins, and took her to bed on auto-pilot. It wasn’t until they were under the cover of blankets and darkness that he finally came out of it. Even through the dark, he could tell Anna was staring at him with that worried frown that went all the way to her eyes.

“Please,” he whispered, “Don’t do this, Anna.”

“Will you tell me about it? The Nattmara thing?”

Kristoff sighed and pulled her closer. “The Nattmara—nightmare, used to be known by humans until it was sealed away. There’s mixed rumors of how it came to be, but it always comes in the shape of a woman with long, dark hair. It is a thing of darkness.” He placed a kiss on her head. “They bring nightmares, as the name suggests, but they’re more than that. Nattmara command the dark, puppet masters of your own worst nightmare. They can create a _fetch_ , a copy of you, but filled with only your negativity.”

“They can make a clone?!”

“Of a sort. It’s a spirit that can overtake you. So, a fetch that is all hate and anger—all of _your own_ hate and anger—could make you do awful things under your own will.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Anna swore. “Not to you, not to me, not to anyone.” She angled herself to give Kristoff a kiss. “We’ll be okay as long as we do it together.”

“I love you, feisty-pants.”

He could feel her smile against his cheek. She snuggled closer in.

“I love you too, my pungent reindeer king,” she teased.

“Pungent reindeer _prince consort_.”

“Sorry,” she fake snored, “I’m too asleep to hear you.”

When Anna's breathing evened out and a real snored sounded through the room, Kristoff was finally able to drift off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did tag this as everything escalates quickly...it got darker than I intended, whoops. Poor Kristoff needs a hug.
> 
> I'm gonna try my darnedest to update at least once a week. We'll see how that goes.

Kristoff woke before the sun. The room was still dark, Anna still snoring beside him (Gods, was it silly that he loved her snoring? It was cute, if a _tad_ bit loud.). He stared at her fluttering eyelids and marveled at how it still felt like the first time he woke up next to her.

It was nothing like he’d imagined, but everything he could’ve wanted. Kristoff loved her, from the ridiculous bedhead she always woke with to the drool he’d inevitably find on the pillow in the morning, he loved every quirk. She was too extraordinary for words and too human to be real, but she was and he was a better man for it.

A scratching sound shifted Kristoff’s attention. He rolled his eyes. Olaf was probably trying to reach the door handle. He slowly disentangled himself from Anna, trying not to laugh at her unconscious whine of displeasure, and padded barefoot to the door. He opened it a crack.

“Olaf what have I told you about visits before the sun comes up?”

Before his very eyes, a guilty-looking Olaf transformed. Kristoff gaped as a perfect, snowy copy of himself stood before him. The doppelganger grinned.

“No,” he whispered. Then, he yelled, “Anna! Anna, wake up!” He slammed the door in the copy’s face and rushed back to the bed. Anna was still asleep. He started shaking her shoulder. “Anna, you’ve got to get up.”

Kristoff glanced back at the door to find snow sliding out from under the cracks. The copy was reforming in their bedroom. He shook Anna harder, but it was no use. He looked around for something, anything to fight with.

“There is nothing you can harm me with,” the copy said in Kristoff’s own voice. “Kristoff, Troll-Human, he who dares to face me, you will fail.” The copy—the _fetch_ , Kristoff realized, stepped closer and closer. “You will fail, and your beloved will _die_.”

“No!” He had no weapon, so he got ready to use his own two hands. “I won’t let you hurt her!”

The fetch laughed, a mockery of Kristoff’s real one. “Oh, silly human, _I_ won’t kill her.” It’s smile grew to reveal sharp, inhuman teeth. “ _You_ will.”

The fetch jumped at him. He swung his fist, but it went right through. Kristoff’s breath caught as he felt the fetch take over him. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe, _he couldn’t breathe_.

Then it was over. A chill washed over him. His shoulders felt tense and heavy, but he was alive. He turned back to Anna and saw red.

How dare she not listen to him. She should’ve woken up! That stupid, selfish girl should’ve woken up!

Kristoff grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, but she still refused to wake. He squeezed. He heard bones pop but he kept trying. She still slept.

He lifted her out of bed. There was black at the edges of his vision. Kristoff threw Anna and with a _crack_ —

Kristoff shot up out of bed, his entire body shaking. His hands were clenched tight in the sheets, fists almost as white as the cloth. Breaths came in great heaves.

“Kristoff?” Anna’s soft voice called to him, but he couldn’t make himself look. “What’s wrong?”

He tried for words, but all that came out were gasps for air. Anna touched his shoulder and he flinched away so hard he fell out of the bed.

“Kristoff!” Anna scrambled out of bed, only to stop short of touching him again.

Dawn had only just broken. Light was inching its way through the window. Kristoff finally looked at Anna, awake and blessedly unharmed. There was no darkness here. No Nattmara. No fetch. Still…

“It knows,” Kristoff rasped. “It already knows we’re coming.”

Anna laid her hand upon one of his own and he finally collapsed into her. He hadn’t hurt her. She was fine. Kristoff held onto Anna for dear life.

“I hurt you,” Kristoff finally said. “I hurt you and I—I think I—”

“I’m ok.” Anna made him look at her. “See, I’m perfectly fine. It was just a…” She trailed off, frowning, “Nightmare.” She planted a feather-light kiss on his cheek. “Perhaps we shouldn’t wait for tonight.”

“Yeah.” Kristoff was finally starting to breathe evenly again. “I’ll bring them to the third-floor ballroom. The windowless one.” He stood, though he was still shaky. He helped Anna up from the floor.

“I’ll meet you there.”

Kristoff took a bit longer lugging the trolls up to the ballroom than he really needed to. He needed the time to settle and think. Even Pabbie and Bulda seemed to sense that, as he’d passed by areas without sunlight on his way up and they didn’t uncurl.

Anna was waiting outside the room when he arrived. Her hair was no longer its lion’s mane bedhead, but she wasn’t dressed in the garb of a queen. There was probably already some gossip floating around about why the queen was wearing what one might consider adventuring clothes.

Her bright dresses had been replaced by dark pants and a tucked in shirt. They were the right shade for a fall expedition. She’d blend in with the foliage. Not for the first time, he admired her forethought. She’d taken to his survival lessons like a fish to water and sometimes she thought miles ahead of himself. Anna was too good for him.

Kristoff must’ve been staring at her for longer than he thought. Anna blushed and pecked his cheek. “Distracted?” She teased him, opening the door to the ballroom.

“Only a lot,” he admitted. He walked through and gently set Grand Pabbie and Bulda on the floor. The two immediately uncurled. He kneeled down to face them. “Sorry to wake you guys, but I think we might need to start sooner than tonight, if that’s ok?”

Grand Pabbie nodded. “A wise decision. We will begin now. Bulda?”

Bulda walked up to Kristoff. She pulled a necklace out of seemingly nowhere and held it out to him. The necklace glowed with a row of shining crystals, expertly tied up to prevent any chance of breaking. There were two of each color, green, yellow, blue, and red.

“No,” Kristoff said, shaking his head. “I can’t—I didn’t earn those.”

“Of course you did,” Bulda replied. She placed the necklace over his head, around his neck. “Green wind, for independence. Yellow earth for responsibility. Blue water for adaptation.” She paused, smiling at him. “Red fire for true love. You earned them all. I’ve been keeping them safe for you.”

Grand Pabbie added, “And I have held onto one for you, your majesty.” He pulled out another necklace. It was covered in red stones. It glowed brightly. “When you married Kristoff, you became part of the family. The aurora recognized this and your true love for everyone you care for.”

Anna stared in awe as Grand Pabbie placed it around her neck. The colors lit up her eyes in, frankly, magical ways. She touched the stones and gasped.

“I felt something! What was that?”

Bulda chuckled. “Magic, my dear.”

“Come, we must begin.”

Training went about as well as Kristoff expected. Anna freaked out at first about conjuring flames, but she was a natural and Kristoff knew why. She wasn’t afraid to express her feelings. She didn’t just love others, but also her own self.

Kristoff, on the hand… Well, he was getting bupkis. How was he supposed to save the world if he couldn’t even make a stiff breeze? He could play the cocky mountain man all he wanted, but that was just it. All the confidence he had in surviving, _thriving_ in the mountains meant nothing now.

“Kristoff,” Grand Pabbie spoke, “You know why you are struggling.”

“I do.” He sighed. “I know, but it’s not so easy to change.”

“You are good enough.”

Kristoff thought of Anna and the new life he’d been given since he met her four years ago. Did he really deserve any of that? “I wish I could just believe that.”

Anna shot him a smile from across the room. Kristoff felt sparks light up his hand and he yelped. A blush covered his face.

Grand Pabbie patted Kristoff’s knee. “See? Just let yourself feel. Don’t think of anything but the elements.”

Kristoff tried, and tried, and tried some more. He beat himself up about it the whole time. The only times he got anything were when Anna would smile at him or show him her progress with magic fire lighting up her eyes. It was a little embarrassing.

Grand Pabbie was squinting at him. “Perhaps we should try a different approach.” He pointed to Anna. “Think of her.”

“I’m _always_ thinking of Anna. How’s that supposed to help?” Kristoff shook his head. “Whatever, I might as well try.”

“Wind first.”

Kristoff took a deep breath and closed his eyes. What was he supposed to think about Anna? If it was wind, then maybe how her red hair would flow through the breeze? He felt a breeze brush his ears. Sometimes, it’d blow in her face and she’d look absolutely ridiculous. She’d make this adorable pout when he’d laugh at her plight.

Kristoff felt his clothes whip about. He was doing it! Of course Anna would be the key. She was always the answer.

So, he thought of her running out into the rain, twirling and jumping in puddles, heedless of the mud she was getting on her dress. He recalled how she napped in the grass, hair spread out like a halo around her and a content smile on her face. He could nearly hear her voice and it was silly how just his name on her lips could set his face on fire. Wait—that _was_ her voice!

“Kristoff!” She was barely audible over the cacophony of wind and rain.

The ground rumbled and fire was bursting out from his hands despite the rainstorm he’d summoned. Kristoff panicked and the wind only roared louder in his ears. No, no, no, he’d hurt Anna and his family. No, he had to stop, he had to _stop_ , dammit. How was he supposed to turn it off?

He was wet and cold but a warm hand touched his shoulder and everything dissipated into nothing. If not for his soaked clothes and the cracks in the tile, he could’ve believed it had been a fever dream. He shivered.

Grand Pabbie uncurled and stepped forward. He smiled at Kristoff despite the mess he’d just made. “True love is its own kind of magic.”

It was a nice thought, but now Kristoff just knew he was a hazard all on his own. He turned to face Anna, only to be terribly confused. He was soaking wet but she was bone-dry.

“The rain never touched me.” Anna kissed his cheek. “You’d never hurt me.”

Kristoff took one breath and then another. He bowed his head onto her shoulder. _I hope true love keeps you safe from me, Anna._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa and Honeymaren come around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote most of this on my phone as I'm out of town without my laptop so there could be some really dumb typos and possibly weird formatting. Forgive me for that haha. I'll do any fixes when I get back to my laptop. Have some family feels!

Kristoff was always impressed at how fast a message could get to Elsa if sent by Gale-mail. He was always even more impressed how quickly Nokk could get Elsa to Arendelle. Magical water horses sure were fast.

  
He felt a little bad about dragging her and Honeymaren away from the Northuldra, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it. The way Elsa’s face blanched when Anna first showed off her new “mastery” (he’d seen masters and he loved Anna but she was not at all there yet) over fire made him feel worse.

  
“It’s not a magic she was born with,” Kristoff assured Elsa. He pointed to the necklaces they both wore. “It’s controlling a power source. We can always take them off.” He decided not to mention his incident earlier that day.

  
Elsa’s already pale complexion thankfully gained some color back. “Alright, but why do you have them? Why have you called me here?”

  
Kristoff and Anna shuffled their feet and looked away, comically in sync. Kristoff nudged Anna and she huffed, but turned to face her sister.

  
“So,” she started, taking a breath, “This evil thing has come back to life and only Kristoff can stop it but of course I’m not letting him go alone so the trolls came and brought us these magic necklace things so we could use magic and go on an adventure to defeat this thing and we need you to take care of Arendelle in the meantime and not come with us.” She gulped in a huge breath as she finished. “So, yeah. That.”

  
Elsa blinked, glancing between the two of them. Kristoff felt her gaze linger on the necklaces, and him in particular. She shook her head.

  
“Absolutely not.”

  
Kristoff tried, “Elsa—”

  
She cut him off, “Are you seriously taking her with you on a dangerous journey, Kristoff?”

  
“It feels more like she’s taking me along,” he joked. It didn’t seem to help much. “With all due respect, Anna is queen now. She’s got a lot of responsibility, but she also has the ability to make this kind of choice too.” He sighed. “I’m not enthused about putting her in danger either, but stopping Anna is like trying to stop a stampede. You know that.”

  
Anna frowned. “I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not.” 

  
Kristoff kissed her cheek. “I mean it in only the best way…but also you’re insanely stubborn and it drives me nuts.” He took hold of Anna’s hand and turned back to Elsa. “We’ll be okay. We make a pretty good team, y’know?” He was doing his best to believe his own words.

  
Elsa pressed newly calloused fingers to the bridge of her nose. Kristoff could feel her pain. He’d been getting stress headaches all over the place since yesterday.

  
Elsa seemed about ready to argue again when Honeymaren put a hand on her shoulder. “I think you need to let them go, Elsa.” She smiled at them. “You’ve had your journey. It’s their turn. You have to believe in them.”

  
“I do,” Elsa said, “I do believe in you both, but letting you go into danger…”

  
Kristoff knew what she meant. He was feeling the same about taking Anna with him. “The trolls said your magic won’t be effective against this thing. You can help us more by seeing to Arendelle. We won’t be distracted worrying about it while we’re gone if you’re in charge.”

  
Elsa nodded. “Alright, I'll lead Arendelle in your absence, but you'd better get back here safely! I'm not un-abdicating, Anna.” She reached out and the sisters shared a tight hug. Elsa glanced up at Kristoff. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this family hug, prince consort.”

  
_Family_. A warmth bloomed in his chest. Kristoff stepped forward and engulfed the two women. Despite her icy powers, Elsa was one of the warmest people he knew, only second to his Anna. The chilly fall weather was nothing to the warmth of hugging his wife and sister-in-law.

  
They separated with smiles painting all their faces. Elsa worried at her lip for a moment. She waved her hands about, sparkling bits of ice following. The snowflakes swirled together to form an ornate short sword. It dropped into Elsa's hands without any further fanfare. She handed it off to Anna.

  
“I know you said this creature can't be hurt with my powers, but I'm sure you'll encounter other obstacles.” Another wave of her hands produced a sheathe on Anna’s back. “I’d prefer you at least have this.”

  
Anna’s eyes shined with unshed tears. She slid the sword into the sheathe. “Thank you.” She wiped at her eyes. “We’d better get going. The longer we wait, the closer this thing gets to Arendelle.”

  
“We’ll be back soon,” Kristoff promised. He laid a hand on Anna's shoulder. “I should probably show you how to use that.”

  
“What's to know? You swing it.”

  
He face-palmed. “Not quite. We’ll get to it.” Kristoff nodded at Elsa and Honeymaren. “We’re off.”

  
Sven was already hooked up to the sleigh, laden with supplies for the trip. They’d have to do some scavenging when they ran out. Kristoff double-checked for his bow and arrows. He thought back to his first sleigh falling into a canyon and decided to keep them on his person just in case. Any essentials would be staying in the bag on his back and having a way to get food was definitely included.

  
He settled himself into the sleigh only to notice Anna staring at him. She blushed when they made eye contact.

  
“I forgot how good mountain man looks on you.” Anna looked him up and down.

  
Kristoff's ears burned hot. “Oh, uh, thanks.” He took a moment to appreciate Anna as well. “You look pretty good yourself.” He leaned over to give her a kiss, lingering since he knew they couldn't afford to be distracted on the road. “Let's go, your majesty.”

  
“After you, my king.”

  
“Prince consort,” he corrected for the nth time. He turned to Sven, who was shifting on his feet and staring at them. In his Sven-voice, Kristoff said, “ _Can we get a move on_?” Kristoff nodded and held out a carrot to chomp on. “Sorry, buddy. Let's go.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sword lessons? Sword lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this mostly on the plane home and couldn't wait to post it!! Thank you for all the support! I really appreciate every kudos, comment, bookmark, and subscribe! 
> 
> TW for mention of blood near the end

Kristoff knew better than to be careless out in the wilderness, even if it had been smooth sailing so far. His eyes stayed firmly set on the road, trusting Anna was being vigilant watching for dangers around them. Grand Pabbie had pointed them north, to the other side of the North Mountains, because of course all catastrophic events happen north of them.

He'd never been past the North Mountains before and that made him nervous. He knew the mountains like the back of his hand, but he’d be leading Anna and Sven through uncharted territory in perhaps a week's time.

There was also the dangers of the mountains to be considered before they got there, though. Animals would be aggressively stocking up for winter. Priority number one was not being added to the hibernation food pile.

“So,” Anna broke the silence, “Do we happen to have any sort of plan?”

Kristoff sighed. “If only. I think I've gotten too used to running after you and Elsa without any tangible plan, but we definitely need to be better prepared. I'm not sure what we'll need to do past searching out the Nattmara and defeating it.” _If we even can._ “I've got no idea _how_ we’ll find it much less beat it.”

“With magic!” Anna's grin was visible in his peripheral vision. “We’ll figure it out. One step at a time.”

“The next right thing?”

“The next right thing.”

Kristoff glanced to the west, noting the setting sun. “Well, the next right thing would be finding a safe place to camp. There should be a clearing not far from here.”

Anna placed her hand over his. “Lead the way.”

“Hear that, Sven? We should try getting there before nightfall.” He got a nod from the trotting reindeer. Sven picked up speed to a full gallop. Kristoff kept a careful catalog of their surroundings so he could steer Sven immediately in the right direction.

They arrived at a small clearing just as the sun was halfway below the horizon. Kristoff cursed the shortening days. That would definitely slow them down considerably if they didn't get an early start every morning.

Sven slowed to a stop. Kristoff hopped out of the sleigh to unhook Sven and set up camp. Anna wandered around the clearing picking up sticks and depositing them near where Kristoff was pitching a tent.

Kristoff had finished and started digging a carrot out for Sven when he glanced back at Anna. She’d arranged the sticks in a circle of rocks, striking pieces of flint sharply like he’d taught her. _How is she so perfect?_ Anna nearly fell back when the fire roared to life. Kristoff couldn’t contain a small chuckle. _Maybe not perfect at everything, but still perfect to me._

Sven nudged him hard and huffed. Right, carrot, Sven, not ogling his wife. Kristoff finally pulled out the carrot and held it out for Sven. The reindeer took it in one chomp.

“Sorry about that, buddy.” He glanced at Anna setting a pot above the fire and smiled. “I got a little distracted.” In his Sven-voice, he went “ _Oh, I wonder what by._ ” He laughed. “I know I'm pathetically obvious, Sven, but you don't have to point it out.”

Sven rolled his eyes and trotted over to join Anna by the fire. He watched as Anna did her own Sven-voice and finger-combed Sven's fur. The fall nights were becoming chilly, but Kristoff had never felt warmer. She smiled at him and it moved him like a siren's call; he willingly let himself be pulled to her side.

“How long does this have to cook for again?” Anna was staring into the pot. Kristoff tapped on her shoulder so she’d face him.

“A watched pot never boils,” he _tsked_ playfully. “It takes a little longer outside in the cold.” He stirred the pot and watched as the food swirled. “Another twenty minutes or so, I’d say.”

“Oh?” Anna bit her lip and that really shouldn’t still do things to him. “What should we do in the meantime, then?”

Kristoff shivered. He easily lifted Anna into his lap to hold her close. While outdoors on a quest to defeat evil was _not_ an appropriate time to flashback to their disaster wedding night (or other, more prepared nights following), he could still appreciate the thrill of having her in his arms.

He brushed a kiss under her jaw; her hands worked their way into his hair. The half-lidded look in her eyes made him sigh and go in for a real kiss. It was more practiced and steady than their first one all those years ago, but no less satisfying.

“I love you,” he mumbled. Kristoff tucked a stray lock of red hair behind Anna's ear. “I love you so damn much.”

It was Anna's turn to steal a kiss (not _really_ steal, he’d always give them to her freely). “I love you too.” She kissed his cheek, the tip of his nose, under his jaw. “More than chocolate, even.”

Kristoff gasped, “Me? Better than chocolate?” A lopsided grin lit up his face. “That's the most romantic thing you've ever said.”

“Oh, shush you!” She stuck out her tongue and he laughed. “I'll have you know chocolate is _very_ high on the list of things I love, topped only by you and Elsa.”

“I'm honored,” he said in a more serious tone. Kristoff closed his eyes, soaking in the moment. The energy of their kissing slowed to contentment. Something bitter reached his nose. His eyes snapped open. “Shit!”

The stew had started to burn. Kristoff stirred it quickly, hoping to save it. Anna was giggling. He scowled at her.

“It won’t be so funny when you have to eat burnt stew.”

Anna shrugged. “I'll live. You're cute when you're flustered so it's worth it.”

A blush colored his cheeks. “You can't just _say_ stuff like that, Anna!”

“Actually, dear husband, I totally can.” She reached over to a pack and pulled out bowls. “Now let’s eat. I still bet it's better than Flemmy stew.”

“You've never even _tried_ it! It smells weird but it really is good!”

Anna kissed his cheek and spooned some stew into her bowl. “Yes, dear,” she teased. She ate some soup. “This year, I'll try some. For you.”

Kristoff leaned over for one last kiss. It tasted slightly bitter from the burnt stew, but it didn't deter him from prolonging it. He pulled away with a smile.

“Alright, feisty-pants, eat up and I'll show you how to use that sword.”

He wanted to say he’d never seen Anna eat so fast, but that’d be a lie. Kristoff purposefully took his time, hyper-aware of Anna's fidgeting. He finally finished off the stew and stood, holding his hand out to Anna.

She took his hand and let him pull her up. “Ok, so what do I do?” Anna managed to fumble the sword out of its sheath.

“Whoa, slow down.” Kristoff took the sword and put it back. “We’re starting with sticks. Sharp, pointy things come later.”

Anna frowned. “Fine, I guess.”

Kristoff grabbed two long sticks off the ground. “So, first of all, that isn’t really a swinging kind of sword. It comes to a sharp point at the end for stabbing and the rest is more for blocking.” He handed one to Anna. “Try to stab me with the stick.”

“I can see why we didn’t start with the sword,” Anna said. She went straight for his gut, which he easily parried, knocking the stick out of her hands.

Kristoff picked up the stick and gave it back. “Going for the gut is smart in that it’d be a debilitating injury—you bleed a lot from a stomach wound—but it’s unlikely to be unguarded.” He readied himself. “Now try to stop me.”

Anna got into position, well, _a_ position, not a correct one. Her grip on the stick was too tight, her stance too wide. Kristoff moved forward and quickly poked her shoulder. She tried to whack his stick away, but her awkward stance put her off balance. Kristoff caught her by the waist as she started to fall backwards.

“I totally let you have that,” Anna insisted. She righted herself.

“Of course, your majesty,” he teased. “Let’s go over what needs fixing.”

The determined expression on Anna's face made him smile. She had a long way to go, but he had no doubt she’d get there. He spent the next few hours instructing his lovely, talented wife on proper stances and maneuvers.

A yawn from Anna signaled the end of training for the day. Even the fire seemed to know that, as it was barely more than embers now. Kristoff pulled out a blanket for Sven, laying it over his friend.

“Sleep well, buddy.” He turned to Anna, grinning at her sleepy attempts to go through the motions he’d showed her. Kristoff gently took the stick from her hands. “Time for bed, my love.” He kissed her cheek and led her to the tent.

“G'night,” Anna mumbled as they laid down and snuggled close with a pleased hum. She fell asleep before he could even reply.

“Good night,” he whispered.

Next thing he knew, dawn was trickling in through the gaps in the tent. Anna was still warm and soft beside him. He’d wake her soon, but not just yet.

A shuffling outside the tent let Kristoff know Sven was up too. He carefully extracted himself from Anna and headed outside. Sven greeted him with a nuzzle.

“ _Morning,_ ” Kristoff mimed for Sven. “Morning to you too. Let’s get you some breakfast.”

Kristoff dug out some carrots and offered them to his friend. Sven bit off half of them, pushing the rest towards him. Kristoff smiled and, heedless of the reindeer slobber, took a few bites himself. He took a minute to appreciate some quiet time with his best friend, knowing these moments had been few and far between lately.

“Sorry we haven’t had best friend time lately.” He patted Sven's head. “After all this is over, I promise I'll take you out more.”

A scream erupted from the tent, startling Sven and sending a panicked Kristoff into a run. He noted the ice sword nearby and grabbed it. Ripping the tent open, Kristoff paled.

Anna was sitting up, tears in her eyes. A sharp sword sat against her throat, held by the monster who had grabbed her. Himself.

 _No, no, no, I don’t want to hurt her._ Tears gathered in his own eyes, blurring his vision as he thrust the sword at himself.

He heard a gasp and to his horror, the double had disappeared. Kristoff had stabbed Anna right in her stomach. He dropped to his knees, pressing his hands to the wound.

“Oh gods, Anna,” he cried. Blood gushed over his hands. “I'm so sorry, Anna, don’t leave me.”

Anna’s face was pale and getting paler. She turned half-lidded eyes on him. “How…could you?” Her eyes closed. “It’s all…your…fault.”

She heaved her last breath and slumped to the ground. A sob wrenched itself out of Kristoff's throat, tears mixing with Anna’s blood on his hands.

_Kristoff._

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Anna.” He ran his bloody hands through his hair out of habit. He could feel the strands dry and crust over.

_Kristoff._

“Please don’t go.” He struggled to breathe past his grief. “Please, Anna.”

_Kristoff!_

Kristoff jerked up and knocked his head into something hard. He opened his eyes to find Anna rubbing her forehead. Relief clogged his throat. He threw his arms around her, sobbing.

“It’s okay, Kris, I'm here,” she whispered. “I’m here; we’re okay. It was only a dream.”

He felt a cold nose on his cheek and knew Sven had poked his head in to comfort him. Kristoff still held on tight, unsure if he could trust himself if he let go. The dream seemed more like a threat than a nightmare.

_Please, gods, don’t let me hurt her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...yeah Kristoff needs a hug. More than a hug, really. Also, for anyone curious, I don't plan to move this above a T-rating. There won't be anything more than references to past sexy-times because they're literally married. It was a requirement of marriage to do it at least once or it could be annulled, but I don't think this adventure would be an appropriate time to get it on.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna is stubborn. Kristoff is upset. Everyone else finds out why you don't wanna make that worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I just moved this weekend and didn't have internet until today so I've been waiting to post this one for a bit. Hope you enjoy!

That day's trek was spent mostly in silence. Kristoff kept a tight grip on the reins. Anna kept her hands to herself; he’d flinched violently when their hands brushed earlier. The only real sound was the crunching of leaves as they moved forward.

A numbness that had nothing to do with the weather was sinking into Kristoff's bones. He urged himself to focus on the road, focus on their surroundings, but he still couldn’t get the image of Anna bleeding to death in his arms out of his head.

He didn’t usually remember his dreams, or his nightmares for that matter. This one wouldn’t leave him. He made a point of not looking at Anna’s sword. That helped a little, but not enough.

A part of him considered turning around and forcing Anna to stay in Arendelle. She’d be safe from him. Elsa would protect her. A glance to his right gave him a glimpse of Anna's worried frown. Another part of him knew she would do whatever it took to follow after him anyway.

Kristoff pulled Sven to a stop. He turned to Anna fully, knowing he couldn’t stand for her to be upset. “Anna—”

Anna clapped a hand over his mouth. He narrowed his eyes at her until she pointed at a carriage ahead. An old man was sitting beside it, surrounded by tall, laughing figures. Bandits.

Anna slid out of the sleigh and grasped her sword. Kristoff grabbed her arm. She scowled at him.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“We have to help him,” she hissed. “Those guys will hurt him!”

Kristoff shook his head. “No, absolutely not. You are not going to recklessly run into danger. It could be a trap. Bandits like to put on schemes when travelers are fewer, as they are right now.”

Anna shrugged off his hand. “How do you expect to stop evil if you don’t take the risk of trying to save someone right in front of you?” She turned and dashed off before he could grab her again.

“Shit,” he cursed. He jumped out of the sleigh. “Sven, I need you to make a wide circle and hide in the brush in case we need a quick getaway.” Sven huffed and galloped off. Kristoff pulled his bow and an arrow off his back, following close behind Anna.

Anna hid behind the carriage, glancing his way. There was relief in her eyes when she saw him coming, but he did his best to convey that he was _not_ happy about this. Kristoff peeked around the corner.

If the old man was part of a scheme, he was a fantastic actor. He was trying to back away, but one of the thugs hauled him up, throwing the poor guy face-first into the dirt. Kristoff sighed. This was worse than he’d thought. These guys were playing with their catch. It wouldn’t be easy to send them off, and if they caught Anna… No, he wouldn’t let that happen, even if he was furious with her at the moment.

Kristoff looked past the bandits, to what looked to be their wagon. Two horses were strapped to it, looking all the world like it belonged to merchants or pilgrims. A white bandage was around one horse’s leg. That’d probably been their ruse, hoping someone would be kind and try to help with their 'injured' horse.

That unassuming wagon likely held their haul, maybe even their supplies. Kristoff pulled his bow and arrow taut and aimed low. The arrow sailed through the air, landing inches from the horses' feet. The two horses bucked, startled, and raced off.

The bandits yelled for the horses, a couple racing off after them. Another walked over and tugged the arrow from the ground. Kristoff swore. He pulled Anna behind him, standing back to back. The two remaining bandits circled around from both sides, closing them in.

The one in front of Kristoff was shaggy and missing some teeth. He held a knife, rusted but sharp. If an injury from it didn't kill them, an infection surely would.

“Well, lookie here,” the thug's voice was rough. “We got us a couple ‘a heroes here.” His grin was yellow and, frankly, pretty gross. Kristoff could smell his breath despite the yard of distance between them that was quickly shortening.

“Ooo,” the other thug cooed in a voice that made nails on a chalkboard seem pleasant. “One 'a them's pretty! You know how to use that sword, girlie? I got one you’d handle better instead.”

Bile built up in Kristoff's throat. “Don’t talk to her,” he growled. A breeze ruffled his hair. “Don’t touch her.” A chill settled over him.

He heard the thug behind him take a step forward and he snapped. They needed to be away from Anna. _Away away away away_. Air flew from his lungs and swirled around them, pushing the bandits back, flinging them into trees.

Kristoff sucked in a breath, fell to his knees, and opened his eyes (when had he closed them?). Foliage had been blown aside, ripped up or bent sideways. The old man was staring at him. The bandits could be seen further away, seemingly unconscious. Anna was beside him, looking windswept but unmoved.

Kristoff turned to the old man. He flinched; Kristoff told himself the man wasn’t afraid of him. “You should go,” his voice was scratchy, “Before the other two come back.”

The man jumped back to the carriage and urged his horses on. They took off at a gallop, leaving dust in Kristoff's eyes and throat. He coughed. His hand came back bloody; he quickly rubbed it into the dirt.

Anna reached out to him. He jerked back from the touch, unsteadily getting to his feet. He sent her a red-hot glare.

“Are you _insane_? Odin forbid you think for one damn second before endangering yourself! Do you even understand what could've just happened?” He threw his bow at the ground. “Those weren't just bandits, Anna. They were criminals, seasoned ones. They wouldn’t have just robbed and killed you. They’re sadists.”

“But we’re fine! We’ve got magic!”

“Magic isn’t a free pass to make stupid decisions.” He jabbed a finger at her dulling gems. “You were entrusted with that. We don’t own this magic. You’re not Elsa!”

Anna paled. She looked away. “Right. You’re right. Of course.”

Kristoff deflated. “Anna, you know I don't mean it that way. You're your own amazing.”

“But not amazing like Elsa,” she said flatly. “I know. She’s part of prophecies and the fifth spirit. I'm just normal old Anna.”

_Thor give me strength_. “Anna, that’s part of why you’re amazing.” Kristoff took Anna's hand. “You don’t need magic to do extraordinary things. You have heart and courage I couldn’t even hope to match. Elsa may have magic but you’re the hero in every story.” He sighed. “Anna, you had this same problem with Elsa, remember? She was recklessly running into danger like she thought she was invincible?”

Anna finally turned back to him. “I remember. I was really scared I was going to lose her.”

“I’m sorry I yelled,” he said. “The thought of losing you _terrifies_ me.” Kristoff pulled her into a hug, relieved when she returned it. “Magic isn’t a cure-all. I just want you to be safe.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. I know I would’ve been furious if Elsa did that.” Anna fingered her necklace. “I would’ve said we need to do things together.” She backed away to look him in the eye. “I wouldn’t have left that man there, but I should’ve come up with a plan instead of running in there.”

“I didn’t mean to imply I would’ve left him there.” Kristoff took a breath, trying to calm down. “I know you’re a woman of action, Anna. I know _I’m_ a man of action. I just wanted to deal with it carefully. I love you too much to be okay with you running into danger.”

“I love you too.” Anna looked down, kicking at the dirt. “It’s been so tense today I just automatically took it the wrong way.” She peered back up at him. “Are we okay?”

Kristoff leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Always. Just _please_ don’t scare me like that again.”

She bit her lip, eyeing him. “Are _you_ okay?”

Kristoff thought of his dream, of her blood on his hands, of the implication that bandit had dared utter, and of his own outburst not moments ago. “Yeah,” he cleared his voice, “Yeah, I'm fine.”

Kristoff hoped that was the last lie he’d ever give her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't started on the next chapter yet (oops) but hopefully I'll be able to churn that out this weekend. I'm working on plotting out an actual series of events so this doesn't ramble on forever haha


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